Thimbleweed Park 2 Funded by Wealthy Fan After Ron Gilbert Tired of Bad Publisher Deals
Thimbleweed Park 2 is officially happening, and its origin story is stranger than fiction. Ron Gilbert, the legendary adventure game designer behind Monkey Island and the original Thimbleweed Park, revealed that the sequel is being funded by a wealthy private individual who happens to be a huge fan of the first game. The connection came through a friend of Gilbert's who knew the deep-pocketed enthusiast, and what could have sounded like an internet scam turned out to be a genuine opportunity to make the game Gilbert always wanted to make.
The unusual funding arrangement comes after Gilbert grew frustrated with traditional publisher deals, which he described as unfavorable for developers. Rather than sign away creative control or revenue in exchange for a publishing advance, Gilbert opted for this private backer setup, giving him the freedom to build the sequel on his own terms. For fans of classic point-and-click adventure games, the news is a welcome surprise, and the story behind the money is almost as entertaining as the games themselves.
Key Insights
- 1Thimbleweed Park 2 is being funded by a wealthy private fan of the original game, not a traditional publisher.
- 2The connection was made through a mutual friend of Ron Gilbert's, making the unusual deal feel like something out of one of his own adventure games.
- 3Gilbert cited bad publisher deals as a key reason he pursued this unconventional funding route.
- 4The arrangement gives Gilbert creative freedom he likely would not have had under a standard publishing contract.
- 5The story is a rare real-life example of the 'wealthy internet benefactor' scenario actually being legitimate.
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